


When Parallels Meet

by lena-in-a-red-dress (CSIGurlie07)



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Don't Like Don't Read, F/M, Guardiancorp, Reconciliation, hurt comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-01
Updated: 2020-05-01
Packaged: 2021-03-01 16:54:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,112
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23950393
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CSIGurlie07/pseuds/lena-in-a-red-dress
Summary: Following the death of Lex Luthor, James goes looking for Lena. He finds her at the lakehouse. (a post S4 ficlet)
Relationships: Lena Luthor/James "Jimmy" Olsen
Kudos: 12





	When Parallels Meet

James goes to L-Corp first.

Then he goes to the Baldwin.

When he calls Kara to learn that she hasn’t heard from Lena, nor has any idea where she might be, there’s only one place left to look.

It’s a long shot, and an even longer drive, but as the winding highway carries him up towards the lake house, James grows more and more certain that he’s heading in the right direction. Kara’s article still ripples through the news community– for weeks it’s been all Lex, all the time. From his facade of an imprisonment to his ignoble death, the world can’t get enough of the former titan.

No one cares about the people he left behind.

James parks next to Lena’s car at the end of the long gravel drive. The front door is unlocked, and he pushes inside to find the main floor devoid of life. The only sign of Lena’s presence is a coffee mug left on the counter, an old tea bag dried to the inside. A glance through the tall windows reveals an empty deck, and the dock beyond equally barren.

He goes to the attic first, remembering Lena’s preference for the cozy hideaway. But the nook is empty too, undisturbed.

In the end, he finds her in bed, a lump under the duvet identifiable only by the shock of dark hair against the white covers.

James has never known Lena to stay in bed past nine, let alone noon, and now in mid-afternoon the sight of Lena lying so still even as the world shines bright beyond the windows drives pity into James’ heart.

_“Oh, Lena…”_

He circles the bed, and crouches next to Lena’s head. She doesn’t stir until his hand settles on her shoulder, pressing through the duvet until his rub could be felt. Red, swollen eyes flutter open, rolling briefly in confusion until James features came into focus.

“James…” Her voice rasps in her throat, slurred with sleep. “What’re you…?”

“I was worried about you,” he says simply. His hand moves from Lena’s shoulder to her cheek. Her skin is warm, overheated from the blanket insulating her from the rest of the world. “When did you last eat?”

Lena blinks sluggishly, and doesn’t answer. Exhaustion hangs over her like a fog, pulling on her eyelids. Though her eyes are dry now, there’s a distance to them that tells James she not ready to be drawn back to the world of the living.

“Okay,” he says softly. “Yeah, a nap sounds like a pretty good idea.”

His fingers wander, smoothing Lena’s hair from where it’d stuck to tacky skin before James remembers it’s no longer his place to do so.

He retracts his hand, and meets her foggy gaze with a thin smile.

“I’m here if you need anything.”

—

He gives Lena complete silence for the next few hours, glad to let her rest. But as the sun fades to night, he turns on gentle music as he gets to work prepping a frozen pizza for dinner. Lena emerges from her nest almost an hour later, just as the aroma of melting cheese and warm tomato sauce reaches the furthest corners of the house.

Despite the sweat-damp hair sticking to her neck, Lena pulls a thick woolen cardigan tightly around her as she approaches. She doesn’t speak.

“I brought pizza,” he says, by way of explanation and as a means to fill the silence. “Your favorite. And uhm– some beer too–”

“I didn’t come here to celebrate.”

Her voice stays low, and her gaze… Her gaze studies him, in a way James can’t recall her ever doing so before. He registers distrust in the set of her shoulders, but also too the confusion that crinkles the skin between her eyebrows.

“I’m sorry,” James says. It’s all he can say. “I don’t know if I’m the right person to say it, or if you even want to hear it, but– I am sorry, Lena.”

“What for?”

There’s a perilous tension in the question– a tight rope stretched under James’ feet. He doesn’t know the right answer, the magic words that will keep him balanced on the wire. So he says the only words left in his heart.

“For everything. This whole year feels like I’ve done nothing but make mistakes, but you’ve been the one to pay the price–”

“Why are you here?” Lena cuts in sharply.

James freezes at the sudden steel. The tightrope falls away, and he plummets. “I…”

“I pushed you away. I got you shot, and then subjected you to an untested drug that would’ve killed you! I, I… _I lied to you!”_

The timer beeps, stopping the world in its tracks. James takes his time sliding on an oven mitt, and removing the pizza from the oven. When he turns back, Lena’s hugging herself again, shoulders lifted against whatever comes next.

“I lied to you,” she repeats, softer this time.

James nods. “Yeah.”

Lena jerks, as though startled by his agreement. He leans against the counter top, and takes a breath to collect himself.

“Then how can you even stand to look at me?” Lena asks.

“‘Cause I understand why you did. It hurt, yeah, and maybe it did more harm than good in the end but…” James shrugs. “I understand you had your reasons, and that it came from a place of caring.”

All of a sudden, James realizes the distance between them has evaporated. Neither of them have moved, but the fog between them has lifted, leaving Lena’s eyes sharp and incisive as she stares at him. But under the sudden intensity, he can still feel her hesitation.

“What happens next?”

James lifts one shoulder. “I don’t know,” he returns honestly. “Understanding doesn’t make it okay, or mean that we don’t have a lot to talk about. But I want to.”

As soon as he says it, James realizes how true it is. The certainty settles into his bones, even as he nods.

“Yeah,” he confirms. “I want to– if you do too. But for right now I’m just going to be here. I care about you, and you’re hurting.”

The next breath Lena takes is ragged, and he catches a glimpse of tears in her eyes before she ducks her chin to hide them. James pushes away from the counter, and slowly approaches her. When she doesn’t move to put the distance back between them, he reaches for her, and makes contact with her shoulders.

With a final, tremulous sigh, Lena steps in to meet him, melting against him as his arms instinctively close around her.

“I’m sorry,” she whispers.

James nods against her head.

“Me too.”


End file.
